I tend to work at an 80%-ish-right pace. I don’t try to get everything perfect. I get things out there quickly, and then revise as I go along.

It’s tempting to focus on being fast. People notice “fast” more often than they notice “thorough”, and you learn more when you get something out there.

Sometimes I have to remember to slow down and be more careful. This matters a lot when dealing with other people, because if I go too fast, then I can disappoint people or mess things up.

Fortunately, it’s easy to tell when I’m going a little too fast. I make more mistakes. I feel more scattered. People tell me. It’s important to pay attention to the small mistakes and slow down. Those mistakes are like those rumble strips that warn drivers of a danger spot ahead. Not a big inconvenience, just a warning.

It’s also important not to get caught up in those mistakes. It’s tempting to give in to “I suck” moments, but it’s better to fix things and move on.

Learning how to find the right balance will probably be a lifelong process, but it’ll be a good one!

sachac M-x customize-variable, or you can look for org-modules in my config at http://sachachua.com/dotemacs to see how I do it with (setq org-modules ...) and (org-load-modules-maybe... – Org-mode and habits